Lock mechanism for a sliding panel



N. E. SMITH Nov. 21, 1967 LOCK MECHANISM FOR A snows PANEL Filed April 20, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENT NORMAN EA'RLE SM ATTORNEY,

Nov. 21, 1967 N. E. SMITH LOCK MECHANISM FOR A SLIDING PANEL Filed April 20, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 s w w fimaoo 0 8. M/ ZMWMM HM m 3 am 1% w w 5m 4 w. H \ITRQ pf H B NORMAN EARLE SMITH Nov. 21, 1967 N. E. SMITH LOCK MECHANISM FOB A SLIDING PANEL Filed April 20, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVEVTOR. NORMAN EARLE SM lTH BYQAM ATTORNEY.

United States Patent Ofiice Patented Nov. 21, 1957 3,353,855 LOCK MECHANISM FOR A SLIDING PANEL Norman Earle Smith, Miami Beach, Fla, assignor to Crossly Window Corp., Miami, Fla. Filed Apr. 20, 1965, Ser. No. 449,933 8 Claims. (Cl. 292-65) This invention relates to a lock mechanism for a slide panel and, more particularly, to a lock mechanism of the type adapted to be operated by a push button and suspended in a tubular lock stile on a sliding panel.

It is an object of this invention to provide a reciprocable latch suspended in a tubular lock stile of a sliding panel on a lock mechanism composed of elements to be housed in the stile which are preferably adapted to be reversible so that the mechanism may be mounted either in a left or right, jamb abutting, lock stile of a panel for engagement with a keeper on the jamb, and which is operable by means of a push button type operator means.

It is another object of this invention to provide a lock mechanism including a reciprocable latch movable between a first position for hooked-up engagement with the keeper and a second, keeper release position which is operable by a push button type operator and normally urged by biasing means into the hooked up position.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a lock mechanism for a sliding panel adapted to be installed within a hollow lock stile of the panel and including structure connecting a latch carrying spring biased slide and a push button operator to move the latch between a first normal position to engage a keeper on the jarnb of the spring and a keeper release position, and which includes a lock arrangement to hold the latch in a position for hooked-up engagement with a keeper and movable as to permit the latch to be moved into a keeper release position on actuation of an operator means.

It is a general object of this invention to provide a lock mechanism of the type described hereinafter which is relatively simple in construction, adapted to be supported on stile faces and suspended in the interior of hollow lock stiles of sliding panels, is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and is otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which it is intended and set forth more fully hereinafter.

In accordance with these and other objects which will become apparent hereinafter, the instant invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is an exploded perspective view of the lock mechanism illustrating the said mechanism in relation to the lock stile of a sliding panel;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevation view of the lock mechanism installed on a lock stile of a sliding panel;

FIGURE 3 is a view in cross section taken along the plane of the line 33 of FIGURE 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 4 is a view in cross section taken along the plane of the line 4-4 of FIGURE 3, looking in the direct'ion of the arrows and illustrating the latch of the mechanism in a hooked-up attitude in relation to that of a keeper on the jamb;

FIGURE 5 is a cross sectional view similar to that of I FIGURE 4 and illustrating the latch of the mechanism in an unhooked extended attitude;

FIGURE 6 is a cross sectional view taken along the plane of the line 66 of FIGURE 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

plane of the line 8-8 of FIGURE 3 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

The lock mechanism will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters will be utilized to designate like or corresponding parts throughout the different views.

The lock mechanism illustrated in the drawing is generally designated by the numeral 11. It is adapted to be carried in the interior chamber 12 of a tubular lock stile 14 which comprises the jamb abutting edge of a sliding panel. The stile is of the conventional tubular type which is severed from a length of extruded aluminum; and, as seen in cross section in FIGS. 7 and 8, it is of relatively narrow, rectangular form to circumpose the interior cl1amber 12. The opposing, relatively narrow width stile surfaces Zli and 22 define, respectively a jamb-engaging surface and a glazing pocket, between longitudinal extensions of the stile faces 24 and 26 to seat a pane 16 carried on the panel. The jamb-engaging surface 28 of the stile is provided with an opening 30 for penetration by a keeper 32 when the jamb lock stile is in abutting engagement with the jamb, the said keeper being sized for interlocking, hooked-up engagement with a latch included in the lock mechanism 11 which is described hereinafter.

As can be seen in FIG. 1, the lock mechanism is housed in a casing composed of an elongate inside escutcheon plate 34 and an outside escutcheon or cover plate 36 which are connected together by screws 38 and 38. To accommodate the screws, adjacent the opposite ends on the confronting surfaces 40 and 42 of the plates, screw posts 44 and 44' and 46 and 46' are provided, the posts of the escutcheon plate having through bores 48 and 48 and those of the cover plate having tapped bores 49 and 49 so that the plates may be tightly drawn together by the headed screws 38 and 38. The escutcheon plate and the cover plate of the casing are sized for overlaying relation to openings 50 and 52 in the respective faces 26 and 24 of the stile. As is apparent, the stile openings are of foreshortened dimension relative to that of the plate areas, and the aforesaid posts are arranged on the plates :for snug insertion in close adjacent relation to the upper and lower edges of the aforesaid openings so that the marginal edges of the plates overlay the faces of the stile when the casing is suspended in the chamber with each plate being on an opposing side of the stile.

As is clear in FIG. 1, the casing defines an operating pocket 53 when suspended in the chamber, said pocket being defined by (a) a floor or stop means 54, (b) a roof 55 of a laterally projecting and downwardly opening channel form member, said roof 55 and floor extending outwardly of the surface 4% of the escutcheon plate, and (c) spaced vertical and confronting side rails 56 and 56' on the escutcheon plate and 58 and 58' on the cover plate. It is noted at this point that there is a gap 60 and 60' between the flanges of the roof and the side rails 56 and 56' of the mounting plate for a purpose to be described hereinafter.

Within the pocket a latch slide generally designated 64 is arranged for sliding movement of translation. As can be seen in FIG. 1, the body of the latch slide includes (a) spaced lower legs 66 and 68, each carrying an extending pivot pin 66' and 68', (b) an upwardly-inclined planiform surfaced shoulder portion 69 projecting depthwise into the pocket and having upwardly extending arms 72 and 72' which converge from the upper distal depthrnost edge 70 of the shoulder to an uppermost transverse bar 74 bridging the distal ends of the arms. Between the shoulder surface, the arms and the bar, a neck opening 76 is provided through which the aforesaid roof 55 extends. It is thus apparent that the latch slide is adapted for sliding movement in the pocket between a first lowermost position with the feet 78 and 7S abutting the floor 54 and a second raised position with the highest point of the shoulder surface, that is, the distal edge in abutting engagement with the flanges of the channel form roof 55. The body of the latch slide is, further, provided with a central longitudinal slot 80 to permit passage of a pin 82 projecting from the surface of the mounting plate with the distal end extending well into the pocket, for a purpose to be described hereinafter.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, it is seen that a latch 84 is carried on the pin 66 on one of the legs 66 of the latch slide, the pin extending through a hole 86 of the latch. The distal end 88 of the latch, the latch slide and the floor of the pocket are sized and arranged relative to that of the stile opening 30 and the position of the striker 32 on the jamb such that, when the lock slide is depressed to move the latch downwardly and the panel is moved so that the stile is in jamb-abutting engagement, the distal end of the latch means is under the end of the keeper to be moved upwardly to engage the keeper in hooked-up relation. The latch is normally urged upwardly into the hooked-up position by means of a spring 90 connecting the latch to the escutcheon plate. In the embodiment shown, the aforesaid pin 82, which is rigidly connected to the mounting plate, is utilized as an anchor for one end of the spring, the other end of which is connected in an ear 92 carried on the latch and offset with respect to the center line of the pin 66' and hole 86. It will be seen that by reason of the aforesaid structure, the latch is adapted to be rotated on the pin 66' upon application of a force on the distal end 88 of the hook with the ear being angularly or pivotally displaced so as to store energy in the spring, the latch being normally held in the attitude shown in FIG. 4 by reason of lugs 96 and 96' extending into a recessed belly 94 of the slide and normally engaging the side walls of the recess, i.e., as the latch is shown in FIG. 4, the tension of the spring is such that the lug 96' of the latch is yieldingly held in engagement with the side wall of the belly. Thus, in the event that the panel is moved into abutting relation with the jamb, and if the lock slide, and, consequently, the latch, have not been depressed, the distal end of the latch will be impacted by the keeper and surrender by pivoting into the casing thereby obviating the possibility of damage to it, and, additionally, the latch will remain in this position until the panel is moved out of jamb-abutting relation so that it is impossible to lock the door by connecting the latch and the keeper until this has been done. It will be noted that by reason of the preferred structure a single vertically-aligned spring performs a dual biasing function of (a) normally urging the latch and the slide into a normal raised or first position for movement of translation between the guide rails downwardly to a second position and (b) for normally urging the latch into an angular position such that the distal end or the hook end of the latch is in the attitude shown in FIG. 4 and yieldable to a collapsed or surrendered position protectively within the casing. The latch is preferably provided with a hollowed-out central zone 97 to receive the spring when it is in the surrendered position and so as to not interfere with the biasing action of the spring.

An operator means 100 is provided to move the latch slide vertically between the rails 56 and 56', the said operator slidably extending through an aperture 102 in the escutcheon plate immediately below the roof. The operator means comprises a member configured such that its upper surface 103 is receivable between the flanges of the roof along its depthwise length and the underside surface 106 is inclined correspondingly with respect to the inclined surface of the shoulder such that, when the operator means is moved depthwise into the casing, the inclined surfaces of engagement co-act to move the slide and latch downwardly. Also, the operator means or member is normally urged outwardly by means of the spring which causes the shoulder to co-act with the correspondingly inclined surface of the operator to urge it outwardly, it being noted that the operator means is thickened as at 107 to provide limit means to engage the confronting surface of the escutcheon plate and in this manner limit the travel of the lock slide upwardly, and, also, the outward movement of the operator means 100. Finally, means are provided to hold the slide in the position shown relative to the main plane of the escutcheon plate so that it will move only in movement of translation in parallelism with the main plane of said escutcheon plate. This may be accomplished in a variety of ways; for instance, by the provision of a tongue to co-operate with a groove in the confronting surfaces of the rails 56 and 56', or, as in the embodiment shown, by means of the annular lock washer 98 on the pin 82 which holds the slide against the inner surface of the escutcheon plate and captivates a friction-resistant nylon or Teflon washer '99 between the washer and the slide to permit of sliding movement of the latch bolt relative to the pin while, at the same time, holding it in the position shown.

Lock means 108 may be provided accessible exteriorly of the escutcheon plate to hold the latch in hooked-up relation with a keeper of a jamb. In the preferred embodiment the lock means comprises a pin 108 with an end 109 which is oval-shaped in cross section passed through a hole in the escutcheon plate below the aperture 102 such that the pin is rotatable by means of the exterior head 110 into either (a) a position in which the major axis of the oval-shaped end is vertically aligned and the end is adapted to pass into and out of the crotch 111 between the legs 66 and 68 or (b) a position in which the major axis is aligned transversely of vertical to effec tively block movement of the latch slide relative to the escutcheon plate by engagement with the legs and thereby lock the door. A retaining means comprising a clamp 112 in a groove of the stem of the oval-ended pin is provided and carried interiorly of the casing, the lock slide being undercut as at 113, see FIG. 8, on the surface thereof which confronts the inner surface of the escutcheon plate to accommodate passage of the slide.

In addition to the hereinbefore described locking means for the escutcheon plate, a key operated lock 114 may be provided in the cover plate, the said lock 114 being supported in a sleeve-type lock housing 124 in a through hole of the cover plate. Preferably, the lock is of the wafer type adapted to align a slot when a correctly grooved key 125 is inserted thereinto and rotated about the axis of the slot so as to rotate an eccentric 120 against the bar 74 bridging the arms of the slide to move the slide downwardly and to release the latch, provided the lock means 108 does not block downward movement of the slide; that is, provided that the panel is not locked from the inside. So that the key is limited to movement of less than degrees, a raised knob, not shown, may be provided in the bar 74.

In Operation, the lock is installed in a lock stile of a panel and, one desiring to open the panel when it is unlocked, merely pushes on the operator 100 to move the slide downwardly and release the latch from the keeper. In the event that one desires to go outside of the building through an opening in which the panel is installed for a few minutes only, he merely closes the panel after he has passed through the opening and the door will be closed providing protection against the elements; however, it will not be locked by reason of the surrender feature of the latch and the person may enter the building through the opening simply by sliding the panel into an open position. An occupant of the building may securely lock the door by turning the exterior head 110 of the pin 108 so that the major axis of the oval-shaped end effectively blocks any movement of the latch and access cannot be obtained from the exterior of the panel. Further, one desiring to pass through the opening in which the panel is situated may, by leaving the locking means 108 in the unlocked position, insert a key into the lock 114 and rotate it whereupon the eccentric will move the latch downwardly. The panel may then be closed and the key rota fid SQ that the spring will cause the latch to engage the keeper. Later, entrance may then be effected by again inserting the key into the lock and rotating the eccentric to move the latch out of engagement with the keeper.

In the preferred embodiment, the operator 100 is prefera-bly of a synthetic plastic material of a coefficient of friction such that the mating inclined surfaces are readily slidable relative to each other. As is indicated in FIG. 1, a decorative handle may be provided spaced outwardly of the main plane of the panel by means of the arms 122 and 123, the distal ends of which are bridged by the handle bar 136, and in the event a handle is not provided, as is quite often the case in by-passing doors, the finger wells 130 provide means to slide the panel in a frame in which it is situated.

Let it be known that by reason of the structure of the escutcheon plate and the members carried thereby, the cover plate is not necessary and the escutcheon plate may be mounted over an opening in the face of a stile which faces interiorly of a building opening with the screws bridging the interior of the stile to be seated in the opposite stile face and that the lock means 114 may, if desired, be provided in a hole in the exterior face of the lock stile. Further, it is noted that by reason of the symmetry of the legs and the latch, the lock mechanism is adapted to be installed either on a left-hand or a righthand lock stile of a panel simply by reversing the latch so that it is pivotally mounted on its twin pivot pin on the other leg.

While the instant invention has been shown and described herein in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention, which is therefore not to be limited to the details disclosed herein, but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent apparatus and articles.

What is claimed is:

1. A lock mechanism for use in a hollow stile of a sliding panel moveable in a plane toward and away from a j-amb having a keeper projecting toward the plane of travel of the sliding panel comprising in combination:

an escutcheon plate having opposed inner and outer faces and means for engagement in the hollow stile, said escutcheon plate including an aperture extending through said faces,

guide-and-stop means extending laterally from the inner face of said escutcheon plate above said aperture said guide-and-stop means including a depending linear guide portion; a manually-operable operator projecting through said aperture and including a stop portion engaging the inner surface of said escutcheon plate whereby the operator is retained in said aperture, said operator including an upper portion complementary to said linear guide portion of said guide and-stop means whereby inward movement of said operator is restrained along a linear path into said hollow stile, said operator including a lower angular cam surf-ace extending away from said guide-and-stop means;

latch slide means restrained on the inner face of said escutcheon plate for reciprocable movement toward and away from said aperture,

said latch slide means including an angular cam portion complementary to and engaged with said cam surface of said operator whereby reciprocable movement of said operator causes movement of said latch slide means normal to said operator;

a latch pivotally mounted on said latch slide means 6 and having relative pivotal movement with respect to said latch slide means about an axis perpendicular to said inner face and having common reciprocable movement with said latch slide means; and

biasing means engaged between said latch and said escutcheon plate and normally urging (a) said latch into a predetermined position with respect to said axis and (b) normally urging said latch slide means toward said guide-and-stop means to cause a force to be applied to said cam surface of said operator normally urging said operator toward the outer face of said escutcheon plate. I

2. The structure as claimed in claim 1 in which said latch slide means includes a pair of spaced pivot pin means each having an axis parallel to said guideand-stop means, said latch being optionally mounted on one of said pivot pin means whereby said lock mechanism can be used in bot-h left and right hand installations.

'3. The structure as claimed in claim 1 in which said latch slide means comprises a lower bifurcated portion, and a manually-operable lock means on said escutcheon plate and including a portion receivable in said bifurcated portion and alternatively engageable with a lower portion of said latch slide means to prevent reciprocable movement of said latch slide means.

4. T he structure as claimed in claim 1 in which said latch slide means includes an aperture portion through which said guide-and-stop means projects, a cover plate secured to said escutcheon plate and forming a casing therewith for the lock mechanism, and lock means on said cover plate including a portion engageable with an upper portion of said latch slide means for permitting limited recprocable movement of said latch slide means.

5. The structure as claimed in claim 1 in which said latch includes a portion offset from the pivotal axis of said latch, said biasing means comprising a tension spring anchored to said offset portion, said latch slide means including a .slot extending in the direction of reciprocation of said latch slide means, and a fastener means connected to said escutcheon plate and extending through said slot and reciprocably restraining said latch slot means on said escutcheon plate, said tension spring being anchored to said fastener means.

6. The structure as claimed in claim 1 including a cover plate secured to said escutcheon plate and forming a lock mechanism recess therewith.

7. The structure as claimed in claim 1 in which said latch and latch slide means include abutment portions to limit said latch in pivotal movement in one direction and retain it in said predetermined position.

8. The structure as claimed in claim 1 in which said operator includes abutment portions confronting the inner face of said escutcheon plate to limit movement of said operator toward said outer face.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,405,240 8/ 1946 Shearer et al.

2,844,020 7/1958 Chittum et al. -97 3,055,204 9/1960 Pelcin 292 X 3,177,687 4/ 1965 Tucker 7097 3,222,897 12/1965 Du Shane 70-97 3,321,227 5/1967 Wyrick 29265 MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner. EDWA-RD C. ALLEN, Examiner.

JOHN R. MOSES, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A LOCK MECHANISM FOR USE IN A HOLLOW STILE OF A SLIDING PANEL MOVEABLE IN A PLANE TOWARD AND AWAY FROM A JAMB HAVING A KEEPER PROJECTING TOWARD THE PLANE OF TRAVEL OF THE SLIDING PANEL COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: AN ESCUTCHEON PLATE HAVING OPPOSED INNER AND OUTER FACES AND MEANS FOR ENGAGEMENT IN THE HOLLOW STILE, SAID ESCUTCHEON PLATE INCLUDING AN APERTURE EXTENDING THROUGH SAID FACES, GUIDE-AND-STOP MEANS EXTENDING LATERALLY FROM THE INNER FACE OF SAID EXCUTCHEON PLATE ABOVE SAID APERTURE SAID GUIDE-AND-STOP MEANS INCLUDING A DEPENDING LINEAR GUIDE PORTION; A MANUALLY-OPERABLE PROJECTING THROUGH SAID APERTURE AND INCLUDING A STOP PORTION ENGAGING THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID ESCUTCHEON PLATE WHEREBY THE OPERATOR IS RETAINED IN SAID APERTURE, SAID OPERATOR INCLUDING AN UPPER PORTION COMPLEMENTARY TO SAID LINEAR GUIDE PORTION OF SAID GUIDE-AND-STOP MEANS WHEREBY INWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID OPERATOR IS RESTRAINED ALONG A LINEAR PATH INTO SAID HOLLOW STILE, SAID OPERATOR INCLUDING A LOWER ANGULAR CAM SURFACE EXTENDING AWAY FROM SAID GUIDE-AND-STOP MEANS; 